Paperback | February 7, 2016

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Heather Forest's artful prose and keen curatorial selection brings an array of ancient tales of adventure, quest and heroics to life for modern readers. This multicultural anthology presents pivotal episodes from epic tales such as Gilgamesh, Beowulf, the Odyssey, the Ramayana, and more. The collection illuminates large-scale narratives that were passed on and preserved through the oral tradition long before being captured in written form by early scribes. With the publication of Epic and Ancient Tales, Heather completes her long awaited trilogy of Tales From Around the World including Wonder Tales and Wisdom Tales. These epic narratives remain relevant today as they provide insights into the complexity of human relationships and the intimate, personal journey of anyone seeking to understand the meaning of life. This collection of timeless stories includes Norse legends, Greek myths, Japanese folktales, Persian stories, Irish Ballads and Chinese lore. Offering a global overview, this anthology of concise retellings also provides endnotes with cultural and historical background to inspire readers' further inquiry into these enduring tales.

About The Author

Heather Forest is an award-winning author of folktale anthologies and picture books including the best selling, Stone Soup. Heather combines her unique blend of elegance and wit along with a poet's touch to bring classic stories to life from the world's folklore tradition. She is also a popular performer and she has been featured at fe...

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents Introduction Gilgamesh Seeks Immortal Life- from Gilgamesh (Mesopotamia - Sumerian) Telepinu- (Anatolia - Hittite) The Bee and the Queen of Sheba- A King Solomon Story (Ancient Israel) The Theft of Thor's Hammer (Norse Mythology) The Tragedy of Sigurd and Brynhild- from the Volsunga Saga (Norse - Viking) Beowulf and the Dragon- from Beowulf (Northern Europe) The Apple of Discord- Prelude to the Trojan War (Greek Mythology) The Cyclops- from The Odyssey (Greece) Penelope's Test- from The Odyssey (Greece) Daphne and Apollo- from Metamorphoses (Roman) Savitri and Satyavan- from The Mahabharata (India) The Capture of Sita- from The Ramayana (India) The Monkey and the Crocodile- from The Panchatantra (India) Four Fables- from Aesop (Greece) Gassire's Lute- from The Dausi (West Africa-Soninke) The Hero Twins- from The Popol Vuh (Mesoamerica - Mayan) Amaterasu and Susano (Japanese Mythology) Mulan (China- Northern Wei) Finn MacCoul, Oonagh, and the Giant - from the Fenian Cycle (Irish) Sir Gawain and the Green Knight- a Chivalric Romance (England) The Tale of the Hunchback- from One Thousand and One Nights (Persia)

Editorial Reviews

There's a reason why old tales continue to be told: old tales are amazing. This is a collection of what might be said to be the best stories in the world. Lots of them I knew because I've read them in full, like The Odyssey and Beowulf and Aesop's Fables, but many of them were stories I've heard of but never read, like One Thousand and One Nights and Gilgamesh, and still more were stories I've never even heard of, like The Kojiki from Japan and The Ramayana from India.Still, every story was excellent, well told and resonant.Don't buy this book for its cover. Don't buy this book for its illustrations. Buy this book for the stories.